With autumn聽around the corner, homeowners will soon be聽getting ready聽for the聽cold months聽ahead. Cold weather聽adds聽even more demand聽on your聽heating and cooling聽system. To prepare your聽furnace聽for the heavy work it will聽soon be taking on,聽regular聽HVAC maintenance should be on your fall聽to-do list. It’s聽vital聽for your system to聽perform聽efficiently in order to reduce the聽risk聽of repairs at an聽inconvenient聽or unsafe time, such as during a storm. Here,聽an experienced聽technician聽from聽黑料社区聽shares five questions to ask聽yourself to see if you're ready.
1. When Should I Schedule My Furnace Tune-Up?
Once聽the cold聽hits the area, many聽businesses聽give preference to聽repairs over maintenance聽calls. Getting your聽HVAC system tune-up聽done before the first bite of winter cold聽assures聽that聽it will be聽ready for the season. It’s also聽beneficial聽to look for a contractor聽with workers who are聽qualified technicians, said Mike Carson, manager of technical training and field operations support at 黑料社区. To further聽check into聽a contractor, ask what’s included in their聽tune-up. Here are a few must-haves:
- Cleaning burners and ignition components
- Testing safeties
- Inspecting the heat exchanger
- Cleaning and flushing drain lines
- Examining聽air filters
- Testing thermostats
2. When Was the Last Time I Changed My Air Filters?
Summer聽is a busy time, which means it’s easy to forget to聽change聽your聽HVAC system's聽air filter. Filters聽catch聽dust, pet hair and other airborne聽irritants, so聽exchanging聽a dirty filter with a clean one聽enhances聽your system’s operational efficiency and聽promotes聽indoor air quality.
“When you don’t replace the filter, the system needs to work harder to pull in air, which can lead to early failure,” Carson聽explained. “Some homeowners will choose a cheap fiberglass filter. They’re less expensive, but pleated filters trap more dust and particles. On the other hand, some can be too thick and restrictive. During your tune-up, ask the technician to suggest which filter is best for your system.”
3. Is My Thermostat Ready for Winter?
Your thermostat is the聽control center for聽your聽furnace.聽It's important聽to make sure it’s in proper running order by聽switching聽it from cool to heat mode, setting your heating setpoints, checking your schedule on a programmable thermostat and replacing the batteries if聽appropriate.聽At this stage,聽you'll want to聽turn it on and listen for any聽odd聽noises or聽clues聽the system is struggling to聽start.
If聽your equipment is getting older, a smart thermostat is a聽valuable聽investment. It can save you up to 20%聽annually on your聽energy聽bill.聽Although聽a programmable thermostat聽modifies聽settings聽according to聽the time of day, a聽smart thermostat聽also聽factors in聽your behavior. Most聽models聽can be聽paired with聽your smartphone so that聽adjustments聽can be made聽even if you are away. For聽additional聽safety, more sophisticated聽models聽may be聽linked to聽smoke alarms and聽be controlled by聽voice commands,聽as well as聽other聽useful聽features.
“A smart thermostat is an inexpensive, but powerful intuitive device for your home,” Carson聽noted. “The learning curve will be long forgotten once you start enjoying the convenience and energy savings it offers.”
4. Do I Have Any Air Leaks?
Checking聽your doors and windows for air leaks before the聽winter聽weather聽sets in聽can save you a聽lot of stress聽later. Not only聽can it聽cause drafts, making your living space聽unpleasant, but the cold air can also lower the temperature in your home, forcing your聽heating system聽to work harder and increase your聽energy聽expenses.
If you聽find聽an air leak聽in the fall, you can take preventative聽actions聽before winter聽arrives,聽including:
- Replacing old weatherstripping聽to make sure聽doors and windows are聽totally聽sealed.
- Re-caulking any cracks.
- Closing the fireplace damper when聽it's not being used.
“Avoiding wintertime HVAC issues starts months before winter even begins,”聽said聽Carson. “Take the time now to make sure your home is ready so you’re not paying for it later.”
5. Is the Insulation in My Home Ready for Winter?
Around聽90% of U.S.聽households聽don't have enough insulation, according to the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association. That can have a聽big聽impact on your聽heating system, which will聽need聽to work harder to keep up during times of聽extreme temperatures. Autumn is an聽excellent聽time to聽consider聽adding insulation, if you think your home needs聽it. But聽how can you tell when聽your聽residence聽needs more insulation?
“If your attic insulation is less than seven inches deep, it’s inadequate,” Carson聽said. “Adding more will probably save you another 20% on your energy bill. Inconsistent room temperatures and drafts could also be signs of poor insulation. 黑料社区 like blower door testing, home energy audits and infrared cameras can help determine where your home may need more insulation as well.”
To learn more about HVAC maintenance or to聽arrange聽a tune-up with 黑料社区, visit.
